


A new Acquaintance with a familiar Face

by Warflower



Series: Cain´s modern murder mysteries [16]
Category: Cain Saga and Godchild
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cain POV, Gen, M/M, Mentions of murder/suicide/all kinds of horrors delilah is involved in, Murder Mystery, This story does not contain original characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-06
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-05-03 02:41:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,518
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14559081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warflower/pseuds/Warflower
Summary: There is a serial killer active on the doorstep of a secret organisation and Cain can only hope to get to her first.





	A new Acquaintance with a familiar Face

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the long delay, working on your Bachelor Thesis is time-consuming.  
> Once again, heed the warnings and enjoy!

-So, what about organised crime? - Cain asked the Professor.

-Organised crime? – he replied, -Yes, there is an optional module on it during the third year of your studies. - 

Cain rolled his eyes, the university´s website could have told him that much. 

-I mean, - he specified, -That I am curious what you know about organized crime within London? - 

The professor frowned, officially he was supposed to show Cain around the facilities of the Middlesex City University´s criminology facilities, a private tour Cain´s uncle Neil had arranged for him, but as the criminology facilities specialised in policing and psychology (two interests of Cain´s that ranked well below forensics), Cain had by now talked the man into showing him around the genetics labs of the biosciences. 

If you had enough money and knew the right people, it seemed you could see everything. 

-I mean, of course there are rings of drug dealers, organised prostitution that kind of thing, especially in the poorer neighbourhoods…- The professor was obviously confused about Cain´s line of questioning, it seemed the man knew nothing, or at least nothing big. 

Cain sighed, today´s tour was a waste of time. At least now he knew which university he would not attend. 

 

-Fuck- cursed one of the students, a young man who was working on one of the hoods in front of where Cain was talking to the professor, both were taking great care not to touch anything. 

Immediately Cain was by his side, surveying the situation. 

The situation in question was not as dire as it might have been, the student had managed to knock over a frozen rack and now a puddle of DNA-Polymerase was slowly spreading over his work-surface. 

At least he had not contaminated any of his DNA. 

Quickly Cain grabbed gloves and ethanol and cleaned up the mess while the student had buried his face in his hands, contaminating his gloves and potentially touching his face with harmful substances in the process. 

-Is everything okay? – Cain asked once he had discarded paper towel into the lab-waste. 

-Yes, no- the student groaned, not bothering to look up. -I´m just out of it today. – 

-And that caused you to mess up your PCR-mix? – 

The student nodded, then after a minute supplied -I´m worried about my roommate. –

-Your roommate? What about them? – 

Now he looked up at Cain, there were dark circles around his eyes, his last good-night´s sleep must have been several nights back. -Alan hasn´t been home for days now. – He explained. 

-Do you think something happened to him? – Cain asked. 

-Yeah- he nodded -I mean, he hasn´t been home since Friday. – 

Cain swallowed, it was Tuesday. High time to fill a missing person´s report, especially if there was a group of human traffickers at large in the London underworld. 

-Have you gone to the police yet? – He asked. 

The student shook his head -I was planning to go this afternoon, after lab. - 

Cain made himself give an encouraging smile -I can accompany you, we can go to Belgravia together. –

-Belgravia? – The student questioned -That´s halfway across the city. I was planning to go to West Hendon Station. -

-Trust me- Cain smiled -I´ve got contacts. – 

 

-Mmhh, blond hair, skinny, young and kind of good looking, if I was a human trafficker I would definitely abduct him. – 

The young man next to him made a noise that bordered on terrified, Burgess merely failed to stare Cain into the ground. 

-What? – Cain asked, don´t tell me it´s not the first thing you´re thinking about after the bust of last week? –

-No, it is not. – Burgess replied -After this weekend´s storm, the logical hypothesis would by that he was inconvenienced, maybe even harmed while he was trying to get home. –

-Yes, - the student confirmed, -Alan called me after the class let out. He said, he wouldn´t be coming home because of the storm. –

-There – Burgess said -No need for conspiracy theories. –

-Where was this class your roommate attended? – Cain pressed.

-Greenwich. He is posing for a figure drawing class at the community centre. – 

Greenwich. Cain´s blood run cold. It had to be Greenwich. Well at least now we have a likely suspect, Cain thought remembering the underground laboratory that had so easily gambled with Meredianna´s life. 

Cain eyed Burgess, sugary smile firmly in place -A healthy young man disappeared in the area, where a criminal organization experiments with the bodies of healthy young people. Does that not worry you? –

-Since you are the only person insisting on the existence of such an organisation, no not particularly. Now, if you would be so kind. This young man is missing his roommate, you are upsetting him. –

 

Cain didn´t bother sticking around where he was clearly not wanted. He had a lead anyways. That was all that mattered. He hurried home. 

Banging the door after him he chucked out of his jacket, April being as it was the weather was mercurial, sun chasing storm chasing heavy rain. Honestly, Cain was sick of it. 

-I´m home- he called. 

Within seconds there was the sound of small feet banging down the stairs. 

-Cain! – Merry squealed, throwing herself around her brother´s middle. 

-Hey- Cain smiled, stroking back the golden mass that was her hair. 

-Hey- she beamed -Was the university cool? – 

He chuckled -Not really, it was mostly boring. They didn´t even have their own labs in the criminology department. – 

Merry crinkled he nose -Then what are they doing there? – 

Cain grinned -They´re mostly teaching about policing, law and criminal psychology. You know, all the stuff we have lots of books about in my library. – 

-You mean the ones that I´m not allowed to read. – Merry pouted. 

-Yes, the very same. – 

-You can read them, too. – Riff smiled, an apron still tied around his waist. -Once you are a little older. – 

While Merry still tried to sway them with her puppy-dog eyes, Cain was welcomed home with a kiss. 

-Did you learn anything? – Riff asked, holding Cain close. 

Cain smirked, he would never get used to this -Yes and no.- 

Riff attempted to quirk an eyebrow, he had nowhere near Cain´s talent. 

-The professor was useless- Cain explained. -But I ran into something interesting afterwards. –

-A serial killer? – Merry tugged at his shirt, clearly, she wanted to be included in the hug. Cain let go off Riff to pull her into his side.

Riff was not impressed -It´s not a serial killer, is it? – 

Cain smiled sheepishly -So far it´s only a missing person. -

That did not seem to reassure Riff. The fact that Merry was whispering -I bet it´s a serial killer. – did nothing to help matters 

-It might be connected to the Greenwich-Ripper case. – Cain explained. 

Riff capitulated -How so? – he asked. 

 

-Okay, these are the facts as we know them. – They were upstairs, in Cain´s study. A mess of papers had been arranged on the floor in haphazard fashion, data points of a tangled web.

-There is a laboratory in Greenwich which is experimenting on humans. 

People who we know are involved: that Cassian, a Dr. Zenopia and another doctor. They had connections to the Greenwich Ripper.

Known victims: one, Meredianna Everett. Probably more.

A young man disappeared on their doorstep. He might be victim number two.

We know they bought the right to experiment on Meredianna of Liza, which implies they are no strangers to human trafficking.

There is a human trafficking ring active in central London. During their drug- and prostitution parties they use the title of a Lady Delilah. 

People we know are involved. My late uncle´s late ex as well as Lord Cassandra Gladstone and other dignitaries. On top of that there is somebody impersonating Earl Alexis Hargreaves. 

What? - Cain halted his explanations and looked up at Riff.

-You are compartmentalizing- Riff said. 

Cain frowned at him. -So what if I am? – 

-Does it make it easier? – He asked. 

-A little- he shrugged -If I acknowledge that it mattered to me, I´ll start second guessing again: Could I have saved her? Was there anything I could have changed? I guess compartmentalizing makes it bearable, I´m not thinking about her, I´m just thinking about the facts. - 

He trailed off -Do you blame me for it? - 

-You know I wouldn´t. –

Cain smiled, if anything, since the whole mess in Greenwich Riff had grown even more careful in his treatment of Cain. -Yeah, I know. – 

-Could any of our other mysteries be connected to this? – Riff changed the topic.

-You mean the doctor of the tapeworm-mess, the one who was supplying the pills? – 

Riff inclined his head. -It is certainly possible. – 

-I guess it is- Cain shrugged. -But geographically speaking it is likelier that he has ties to the human traffickers than having ties to the organ lab. – 

-That means, we can probably neglect him in our current case. – Riff concluded. 

-Unless he is the missing doctor Meredianna spoke of, but we can´t assume this with any certainty. –

-So, what are you going to do? – Riff asked. 

Cain grinned -First things first, I´ll check out the Community centre in Greenwich. – 

 

-Why are you here again? – Cain asked Oscar, they were standing outside the community centre near Greenwich station. The Italianate building was in good repair compared to the community centres Cain remembered from his time in Ealing, there were even a few youths sitting on the stairs leading up into the entrance hall. 

-I guess I was missing my good old university days. – Oscar grinned as they gingerly stepped around the teenagers and into the entrance hall. 

Cain gave him a blank stare -Didn´t you drop out? – 

-Not the point. University students have the wildest parties. –

That made Cain laugh. 

Oscar checked the directions on his phone -We have to go that way. – 

-Okay. But let´s check out the notice board first. – 

This proved to be a good decision as between information flyers concerning dozens of different events, they found a slip of paper asking `Have you seen this person? ` 

-Bingo- Cain muttered, tearing out the flyer -Looks like our Alan was not the first to go missing. –

The victim was young and blond, an artsy type but not an art student. He had disappeared more than two months ago, back in early February. 

Quickly he pulled out his phone to look up any information he could find regarding this Fred´s disappearance. There was one article in a local newspaper. 

-That´s weird- he frowned. 

-What´s weird? – Oskar asked.

-A student disappeared, there has to be at least some media coverage. One article is nothing. – 

-Let me take a look. – again, Oscar scanned the flyer. 

-I´ve got it- he said. -He disappeared during one of the worst storms of the winter. The newspapers were occupied with that. – 

Cain looked up at Oscar -There was a storm last Friday. – a grin spread over his face.   
This was not the organ lab from the Ripper case, the m.o. was too different. This was someone using the cover of the storm to hunt. 

Oscar did not seem to share Cain´s excitement. -How likely is it that this is not the work of a serial killer? – He asked.

-Technically we don´t know that they´re killed. – 

-So… it´s definitely a serial killer. – 

Cain just grinned. 

-I am so losing my bet with Merry. – Cain laughed -And here I thought there was no way there are   
two different serial killers in the same borough… –

-Three if you´re counting the organ lab. – Cain supplied. 

Oscar rolled his eyes. -Greenwich has a problem. – 

 

-What do you say? - Cain turned to Merry -glasses or no glasses? -

While the wind outside was picking up speed the Hargreaves siblings were picking out Cain´s disguise for the night. 

-No glasses- Merry decided, -the other two didn´t wear glasses either, and you want to look good. –   
Cain grinned, rearranging his wig, it was the same one he had worn the night he avenged Cleo. -And? Do I look good? – 

Merry giggled -Good enough to kill. – 

There was a knock on the doorframe as Riff announced his presence. 

He assessed Cain´s get-up from the tousled blond hair to the clothes that screamed broke student (and contained way too little black for Cain´s liking). 

-I still think it is way too dangerous. - He said and was promptly faced with two sets of big pleading eyes. 

-Come on, Riff. You already agreed that you can´t think of anything that is safer. – Cain whined as he sidled up to Riff, stepping into his space. -We know they´re going to hunt tonight. Would you rather they killed someone else? – 

-If that means that you are safe. Yes. – He frowned as he placed his hands on Cain´s hips, as if that could keep Cain from going out and playing bait for a serial killer. 

-Did you at least inform Landor of your crazy plan? – 

-I have him on short dial and I will call him as soon as things go pear-shaped. – Cain tried to reassure him -And you are going to be right outside, you can interfere anytime. –

Riff shook his head. -Only if you get to call for help. There´s no guaranty for that. – 

-Well, I can´t very well take a gun. – 

-I never thought I would envy the Americans their crazy gun laws. – Riff snorted. -But please, take something, will you? – He rested his forehead upon Cain´s. 

Cain nodded. -Anything. – he pressed a playful kiss to Riff´s mouth, hoping Merry didn´t mind some displays of affection. -Do you want me to take a vial of Machineel tree sap? – He asked. 

Riff winced. 

-Don´t worry, I´ll take Urushiol. – Cain decided, no need to strip paint of cars. 

 

The public figure drawing class in Greenwich was one of the bigger ones, in fact it was big enough to hire two models. Today, though, everybody was crowded around the dais, where one robed, middle-aged blonde was standing.

-And who are you? - the drawing instructor asked him as Cain entered the room, trying to be as unassuming as possible. 

-I´m Ian Reid- Cain introduced himself -I´m studying fine arts at Middlesex. – 

With that the questioning was over. The instructor apologized for only having one model, the second one had, apparently skipped out on them two weeks ago. 

Cain just nodded, it seemed another disappearance had gone under in the media´s coverage of the storm. 

By the time Cain finished his first drawing tonight´s storm was in full swing. The rain was beating against the windows and the wind was howling through the streets. He pitied Riff, who was crammed up in the car they had borrowed from Cain´s uncle Neil, especially as the atmosphere of the class was such a pleasant one.

Contrary to what Cain knew about how figure drawing classes were run, the model here, Maria was her name, was quite chatty. And she had taken a particular liking to Cain.

-You said you are studying fine arts in the city? – She asked. -You must be a great artist. –   
Cain laughed, his drawings were not horrible, but he was not exceptionally skilled either -Not as good as I should be. Why else would I cross half the city for some secret practice. –

-Your coming here is a secret then? – she asked. 

-As much as hopping on the underground and coming here can ever be a secret. – He took care to speak loud enough for all the room to hear him. If the killer was here, they needed to know that Cain had told nobody where he was going and had no car that would complicate things after the kill, he was the perfect victim.

-You timed it very well then- Maria smiled, her natural charm only brought out further by the crinkling of her laugh lines, and after Cain send her a questioning glance she added. -We had a second model, Alan. He attended your university. Since you want to keep your supplementary lessons a secret you are quite lucky he abandoned us a fortnight ago. – 

-Lucky me then- Cain jested and started a third sketch. 

-May I see- Maria asked. They were having a short break for the artists to stretch their hands and drink some water, and Maria was once again dressed in her robe.

-Sure- Cain agreed. He had finished five drawings so far, most others had closer to ten. -But they´re not very good. – 

-Don´t put yourself down. – Maria petted his shoulder -They´re not bad. – 

-Do you draw, too? – He asked her, honestly curious. 

-A little- she laughed. -My Albert was a real artist, it was impossible to see the passion he had for his art without wanting to experience the same. I prefer painting of canvas. –

-Was Albert your husband? – Cain asked. 

She shook her head wistfully -My husband is stationed overseas, Albert was my son. – 

-I´m sorry- was all that Cain could say. 

-Don´t worry about it. - Maria smiled, she must have been a doting mother -It´s why I´m doing all of this. – She gestured at the class -My son used to draw me… - 

Cain raised an eyebrow 

She let out something close to a giggle -With clothes on, of course. But this, posing again, it makes me feel close to him. – 

-I never knew my mother- Cain told her, technically that was Cain Hargreaves´ truth, not Ian Reid´s but that hardly mattered now.

She wrapped him in a one-armed hug. -Would it be okay if I kept your drawings? – she asked. -You remind me so of my Albert… - As kind as she was, Cain saw no reason to deny her. 

 

By know the class was drawing to a close and as nobody else had shown any interest in Cain´s presence Cain had reconciled himself with the fact that Maria was either a serial killer herself or working for one. And on top of that, it was still raining sheets.

-Ian- Maria addressed him -I hate to ask it of you, but could you help me carry your drawings to my house. It is only barely two hundred meters from here, but in this weather I´d hate to go twice. – 

Cain eyed his rolled-up drawings. There were, indeed, two arms full. He was a little impressed at the cleverness of the trap. 

-Sure- he agreed. -Can I just call my roommate first? I told him when I´d be home, and he´ll worry if I come back late. –

She did not protest. Cain recalled that the last victim had also informed his roommate, that he wasn´t coming home that night.

So, with a wave and a reassuring smile he slipped into the hallway and called Riff.   
Riff picked up after the first ring -I think I´ve got her. – Cain said in lieu of a greeting.

-You´ve got her. – Riff did not sound panicked, but Cain knew he was nervous. 

He wasn´t the only one -Her name is Maria, I don´t have a last-name yet, she´s in her mid-forties and has lost her son, probably recently, she has just invited me back to her house. – he explained. 

Riff´s long exhale was clearly meant to calm him down, it was equally clear that it didn´t work. -I assume that you have to go. No way, you´re calling Landor and getting out of there, right? – 

Cain smiled -You know me. – 

-Yes, I do. – 

As Riff was obviously resigned to his fate, Cain gave him his instructions. -In five minutes I´m leaving the building with Maria. We´re going to her place which is only about two-hundred meters from the centre, I don´t know in which direction. So, please follow us carefully, and make sure nobody notices you. – 

Cain knew Riff was nodding on the other side. -I will. Please take care. – He added and just like that 

Cain wasn´t half as nervous. 

Packing his phone away he returned to Maria´s side.

 

The plan Cain had detailed without a hitch, at least up until the point, where they reached Maria´s townhouse and Cain saw they had been expected. 

-Mrs. Stanford. – A slim figure stepped out of the shadows of her entranceway. A young man whose pale long hair had grown stringy from the rain. 

In cold fashion he assessed first Maria, then Cain, and it seemed for just a moment that behind their glasses his eyes widened in recognition. Cain, too, had a feeling that he had met this man before, but for the life of him he could not recall where.

-Doctor Hathaway. – He introduced himself, his attention had yet to fully return to Maria. -I am sorry for disturbing you so late at night, but I must speak with you privately, Mrs. Stanford, I fear it is rather urgent. – He cast another sly glance towards Cain. 

-Whatever about? - Maria questioned, playing dumb she was annoyed at the stranger´s sudden appearance.

Hathaway did not seem to be interested in disclosing anything, he avoided the question -You have already spoken with my colleague. – he insisted instead.

That seemed to ring a bell as Maria paled visibly -The one in the dress? – She whispered.  
-The very same. – Dr. Hathaway smiled.

Fearing that Riff would round the street´s corner any second, Cain suggested they go in and warm up from the rain. Maria heartily agreed, as did the doctor, Cain was playing right into her hands.

-Come in, come in… - She shoed them into her hallway. She locked the door and turned to Cain -Ian, be a dear and bring those drawings into Albert´s atelier. It´s just up the stairs and at end of the hall. I´m making us a bite to eat. – 

Clever, Cain thought as he was following the directions, she´s isolating me from the doctor so he can´t interfere with her plans for me. Though she most likely planned to murder him, he couldn´t help but admire her cunning. 

The atelier was an airy room with white walls and high windows. He placed his drawings on a desk in the corner, he couldn´t wait to snoop around here. 

Unfortunately, his priorities lay elsewhere. There was a balcony looking towards the street they had just vacated and as much as Cain hated going out while lightning and thunder were dancing overhead he stepped through the double doors into the open. He searched the street, until finally he spotted Riffs car, parked two houses down on the opposite side of the street, all lights extinguished. 

His silhouette on the balcony should be clearly visible, especially with the binoculars they had specially acquired for this little stunt, so he waved and gave Riff a thumps-up with both hands. 

After informing Riff that he was, in fact, fine, Cain finally got to examine the atelier to his hearts content. The drawers were full of art utensils and there were canvases lining the walls. Most paintings were religions in motive and all were signed T.S. 

But the most interesting where the drawings, or to be more accurate, of the most interest to Cain where the drawings. 

There was a whole stack of them, and all had the same subject: Maria. 

They were nude figure drawings, the likes of which Cain had produced this very night and they varied wildly in style and quality. Cain scanned the names signed on the bottoms of each one: Alan, Albert, Fred. 

This might not be proof she had done it, but it was certainly evidence.   
Cain smiled as he took pictures of each and send them to Riff, then it was time to re-join the party. 

 

Cain wandered down the stairs quietly, hoping for a chance to listen in. 

They were in the kitchen, and Maria was cooking. To be precise, she was peeling potatoes while whatever was baking in the oven filled the room with an excellent smell. 

-I am not here to be debating with you over the why. – Hathaway said -It is the how that concerns me. – 

Maria scoffed. -I´d rather not be debating with you at all. Go and tell your employer that my mind remains unchanged. – 

-I am not some lapdog to be chased around at will… - Hathaway paused. Cain had not been quiet enough.   
-And how did you find the atelier? – The doctor addressed him, his voice switching from aggravation to interest.

-It was quite impressive. – Cain slouched onto the counter next to Maria, he would not give her a chance to tamper with the potatoes, -I especially liked the dark elements in the religions paintings. – he turned to Maria. -Did your son paint in oils? – 

-Yes, indeed. – She confirmed and went on to compliment him -You have a good eye for art, truly, you are just like him. – 

Hathaway´s lips pulled into something like a smile -He does quite look like him, too. –   
Maria nodded in assent, further slicing her potatoes. 

-All young and blond and handsome, – he continued -Except for the eyes, didn´t your son have blue eyes? – 

She looked up, regarding his eyes -It doesn´t matter- she decided -If Ian´s eyes are blue or green. –   
Cain wondered if he should say something. He decided against it, let her decide if he resembled Maria´s dead son enough to kill him for it. 

-I do quite them the way they are. – Hathaway declared. -The gold especially. - 

 

The heavenly smell from the oven turned out to belong to a huge steak and kidney pie. Maybe it was not big enough to feed three, but it was certainly big enough to feed two. 

Cain had kept Riff company in the kitchen often enough to know that such a meat pie needed hours of preparation. Maria had expected company. 

While she was quickly setting the table, Cain plied her with his most sincere apologies, claiming that he had not noticed what was baking in the oven and since he was deadly allergic to all forms of wheat he would be happy to just eat the potatoes. If she wanted to poison him, she would have to try harder. 

Hathaway watched the whole spiel with dry amusement.

Dinner went fine, in so far as there were no attempts at murder. Maria tried to simultaneously charm Cain as she tried to antagonize Hathaway, who was like Cain, avoiding the meat-pie. Meanwhile her two guests spend the meal shooting discrete glances at each other, Cain had still not succeeded in placing the man. 

-Who wants a drink? – Maria asked in an attempt to draw her guests attention back to her. 

Cain declined, Hathaway did not, so Maria produced a big bottle of red whine and promptly spilled it all over Cain´s front. A front which included his phone in the pocket of his hoodie. 

-Oh my god, I am so sorry. - Maria apologized, having successfully cut Cain´s connection to the outside world. 

-It is fine. – Cain assured her. It was not fine, he needed a knew way to contact Riff as soon as possible. 

-You are completely drenched, - Maria insisted dabbing wine-drops from his cheek with a napkin -You must go upstairs and change into something dry. Some of my son´s old clothes will probably fit you. Up the stairs, just to the right of the atelier, I´ll check in on you after I cleaned up this mess. – 

Once again Cain turned his back on Maria and her guest, walking up the stairs and wondering if he was about to find the murder-room. He didn´t, he found a bedroom with a twin bed, a photograph of a couple with the woman´s head torn of and a wardrobe full of clothes that were slightly to big and way to old-fashioned. 

Quickly Cain changed into something dry before once again leaning out of the window in search of Riff. If he had known that she would use subterfuge to get to his phone he might have taken a spare. As he had expected a brute-force approach he hadn´t bothered. 

Next time he would come better prepared. 

Having ascertained that his window was well visible from were Riff was watching, Cain approached the light-switch and begin to morse. 

Short-long-short, short-short, short-short-long-short, short-short-long-short…  
RIFF, SHE DESTROYED MY PHONE, NEED NEW ONE, SAVE OTHERW…

That was went the light went dark. 

Cain cursed, of course, the storm had caused a power outage. 

Had it?

It was a little too convenient.

Cain leaned out of the window and scanned the surrounding houses. All was dark, but there, in the distance, around the corner of the street, there was a light in the window.   
It seemed Maria had cut the entire street off the electricity net and faked a storm-related power outage. It was so brilliant, he almost laughed. 

Barely a minute later Maria joined Cain in her late son´s bedroom, Dr. Hathaway had apparently remained downstairs. Either that or he was her accomplice and had yet to return from turning off the electricity. 

She was armed with a big silver chandelier and a pack of matches. 

-Are you alright. – She asked Cain, setting up the candles. -It seems the storm has blown out the power for the whole region. Nothing is working anymore. – 

-Nothing? – Cain asked, he knew she had an agenda, but waited for confirmation as to what it was. 

-Right- She appeared to recall something important. -You are got here on the tube, didn´t you. –  
Cain nodded, so she continued -Do you think it is still running tonight? Can you check on your phone? – 

There it was. -I fear my phone has fallen victim to your wine. – Cain confided, -I don´t think I´ll be getting home tonight. –

Maria just smiled. -Don´t worry. My Alan´s room is quite nice, don´t you think? You can stay here for the night. – 

-Thank you so much, that is awfully kind. – Cain nodded with faked enthusiasm and hoped she had not noticed her slip-up. 

-Don´t you worry about it. – She assured him and if Cain didn´t know better he would think her an angel.

He conjured a smile, one of the extra charming ones. -I am awfully glad, I would dread having to travel so far in such a weather. – He took her hand. -And it´s so late already, I am terribly tired, I´m sorry but I fear I´ll be horribly poor company. – 

Of course, this caused her to insist he go to bed immediately. -We can spend time tomorrow, once you´re properly rested. – She pulled him into her arms and pressed a kiss to the side of his head. 

-Sweet dreams, Alan. –

 

As soon as Maria had retreated downstairs to accommodate her other guest for the night Cain opened the windows wide, then he got ready for bed and waited. 

Not quite half an hour later Cain was roused by the awaited thud announcing the arrival of his new phone. 

Picking it up, Cain had expected a burner phone, not one of the newest smartphones. That it was wrapped into an understated feminine cover did not help dissolve his confusion. 

He swiped his thump across the screen and was greeted by a picture of Emmeline Rotterdale hugging the neck of her favourite horse. Great.

Leaning out of the window he saw her familiar silhouette leaning against his uncle´s car, chatting with Riff, then calmly turning around and holding up her middle-finger. 

He chuckled, Emmeline was the best, if she was talking to him or not.

Quickly, Cain dialled Riff´s number. 

-Cain! – God, Riff sounded worried. 

-Riff! – Cain kept his voice down, not wanting to draw anybody´s attention. 

-What happened? Are you okay? – He was bombarded with questions. 

-I´m fine, - he assured Riff -really. – 

When Riff once again was approaching his usual calm Cain explained what had happened to his phone and the electricity in the street. 

Riff confirmed that he had seen Maria leave to house to turn it off. 

-So, it wasn´t Hathaway, - Cain said. Which lead him to explain the presence of the strange houseguest. 

-I mean, I think he´s acting like he knows something, but I´m not even sure about that. For all we know he could be an ordinary doctor with a weird sense of humour. –

-And you are certain you know the man? – Riff confirmed. 

-No! – Cain complained -I´ve certainly never talked to him before. It´s just, I have a weird feeling with him. – He sighed. -I can´t even say if it´s good or bad. –

Riff said nothing. 

-What am I doing? – asked Cain.

-Risking your life. – replied Riff. 

Cain laughed, leave it to Riff to get his priorities back in order. -Thanks for the reminder. I love you. – 

-I love you, too. –

 

-There we go- Cain said as he placed a big bowl of fruit salad on the breakfast table. After the gluten-containing fiasco at dinner Cain had volunteered to help Maria prepare a breakfast he could actually eat. 

Unfortunately, edible for Cain did not constitute edible for Dr. Hathaway who was staring at his scrambled eggs with bacon like they had personally insulted him. 

Maybe he was a vegetarian? That might explain why he was so pale.

-What shall we do today Ian? – Maria asked. 

Cain shrugged, simultaneously hoping that murder was not an option and wondering why he was still alive in the first place. 

He was just about to suggest that he should probably go home sometime, when Maria suggested: -I should paint you, Ian. I should really like to paint you. My Fred sometimes allowed me to paint him and I do quite miss it. –

Cain smiled, pretending not to notice the newest name-change -If it matters to you, then I certainly don´t mind it. Spending more time in the atelier might be nice. – 

 

And so it came, that three hours later Cain was still bedecked with the Sunday´s best of Maria´s late son and posing in the light of the occasional sunbeams of the atelier. He had been holding still for more than two hours and his muscles were starting to protest. 

He knew that portraits were taking a long time, especially in oil but since Maria was only painting a miniature he hoped she would be done soon. 

-It´s quite impressive, your picture of Dorian Gray- Hathaway commented as he watched Maria work. 

-But is all this- he made a vague gesture encompassing Cain and everything around him -really worth the trouble. You know I could make it easier for you. – 

-I stand by what I said. – Maria answered -I prefer selecting my materials myself. –  
The doctor made a disappointed sound -And risk it´s turning out badly. Like last time, or the time before? - 

Maria turned to face him, there was anger in her eyes.

-I´m just saying. Give it a try, maybe a change in technique would suit you, it would certainly be better in the long run. – 

-Are you an art expert, doctor? – Cain asked, well aware that art was far from being the topic at hand. 

Once more the doctor scrutinised Cain with that pale eyes of his -I am not a painter, if that is what you are asking. Yet… - A smirk stole across the doctor´s lips -…there are arts where you´d be hard pressed to find a man more skilled. –

 

-So- Cain addressed the doctor, Maria had left her miniature out to dry and had gone to clean her hands of the paint -do you know what happened to Maria´s son? –

The doctor smiled as Cain stepped into his space, he was two inches taller at most, so they were eye to eye. – 

-Poor Theodore? – he asked -I hear he died in an accident last winter. His mother was quite distraught, she insisted on an autopsy. – 

-Are you a coroner than? - Cain asked, with his pale skin and long messy hair, Cain could easily believe that this man favoured the company of the dead. 

-Hardly. – The doctor replied. -But as Mrs. Stanford was not ready to accept the circumstances of her son´s demise from my colleague my employer sent me to …convince her to move on. – 

-What, then, are the circumstances of Theodore´s accident? – 

When he smiled this time, the doctor looked downright malicious. -The kind of circumstances where you are absolutely broke because your art does not sell, and you are twenty-five, living with your mother, who has driven off all of your friends and now your girlfriend has left you, too. You know, the mysterious kind of circumstances. – 

-So, the mystery about Theodore´s accident is that it was no accident. That´s disappointing. –   
Hathaway quirked a brow -A young man commits suicide and you find it disappointing. – 

-You must admit that mysterious deaths are much more interesting. – Cain bantered back.

-I seems you have quite the taste for mysteries. – 

Cain shrugged -I admit I am fond of them. – 

-Fond enough to shack up with a mysterious older woman. – 

-As if Lady Maria was the biggest mystery present. - Laughed Cain.

-Indeed, she is not. As she is not, after all, wearing a wig. And a rather poor one, I might add. – 

And so, nose to nose, barely ten inches apart Maria found them, and called them for tea.

 

Maria was talking about dinner, their dinner, for this evening, which would be gluten-free, for Ian. 

The tea smelled good and Cain was certain the potted plant behind his chair appreciated it, but there was no way Cain would spend another night rooming with a serial killer. He had to get home.

Not only did he want to go home, he needed to, if only to uphold his alias. No university-student, however desperate for motherly affection just dropped his life to move in with a stranger. If he didn´t want to go home, he would soon become suspicious. 

-Maria, - he spoke up -I should head home soon. The storm has cleared up, - he indicated the meagre sunlight beyond the window – the underground is going again. I´m certain my roommate is sick with worry by now. – 

Maria froze, -Don´t you like the tea? – she asked. -I can make you another one, you´ll like that one better. - She made to stand up. 

-It´s not that- Cain explained -your tea is excellent. – Or at least it smells that way. 

-Have I been a poor hostess? – She frowned. 

Now he was on the defensive, he threw a furtive glance asking doctor Hathaway for help, but the doctor ignored him in favour of calmly sipping his cup of tea. 

-Do you need anything? – She continued, pleading -Anything to make you happy, you know that? – 

-Yes, Maria, you are a great hostess. But I need to get home. – The doctor lowered his teacup, he was smiling. 

-But why? – She asked. 

-I don´t live here. – 

-But you can. Why wouldn´t you want to live here. – She honestly did not seem to comprehend the problem. 

Cain tried his best to remain calm -Because I have a life, that I need to get back to. – 

-But you live here- she blinked -this is your life, Theodore. – 

Oh shit, Cain thought. 

-You don´t need to leave me. – She insisted. 

-Yes, I do. – He made to leave, he didn´t get far. 

Immediately Maria´s hands closed around his biceps. Spinning him around she pushed him back into his chair.

-You won´t leave me, Theodore. – 

-I´m not Theodore. - Cain attempted to rise again. They were similar in stature, but when Maria threw him to the ground, she had gravity on her side. She was visibly struggling but soon she was straddling his waist and Cain´s wrists were firmly pinned beneath her knees.

-You won´t leave me again. I won´t let you leave me again. – A handful of blonde stands had escaped her elegant chignon, but it was the manic light in her eyes that made her finally look like the killer she was. She stroked Cain´s cheek. 

-You´re delusional. – he murmured, he half expected her to strike him, she didn´t -She´s delusional. – he turned to doctor Hathaway -You have to help me! – 

The doctor regarded him coolly -You will find that I don´t – he replied -have to help you. In fact, helping you would actively harm me. – 

Cain frowned. -So, you´re just letting her kill me? –

-I´m not going to kill you, Theodore. – Maria was still stroking his cheek -Not if you don´t make me. – 

-Let me explain it to you. – The doctor was turning his deadly charm towards Cain -If you get out of here alive, can I trust you not to draw any attention to either her or me? No, Cain, I most certainly cannot. And that means, as much as I enjoy your company, you are a danger to Delilah and you are not leaving here alive. – 

-You know who I am. – Cain breathed. 

-And you don´t know who I am. – The doctor replied. -But you will soon enough. –   
Unfortunate as the situation was there were two people in the room that could kill him. The doctor had his mind made up, Maria hadn´t. 

He addressed Maria, who was petting his wig, she had apparently ignored any conversation Cain might have had with the doctor and was instead babbling on about how her and Theodore belonged together, that they could be a family again. 

-Maria- he said. -You know I´m not Theodore, I am nothing like him. I am eighteen, he was twenty-five, he had blue eyes, mine are green, hell I am wearing a wig. – 

Now Maria frowned, grabbing the wig and pulling it of Cain´s head. 

Her eyes filled with tears. -You´re not Theodore? – 

-No- Cain shook his head -I´m not Theodore. – 

-Where is Theodore? – Her voice was so very small, Cain almost pitied her.

-Theodore is gone. – 

-Gone where? – She asked -What did you do to him? – Her voice was rising as she shook Cain by the shoulders, it hurt. -Give me back my Theodore! – 

-I can´t – Cain´s teeth shattered as she banged his head down on the floor. -Theodore is dead. He killed himself. – 

-You are lying. – Tears were running down her cheeks as she shook him harder. -Stop lying! – 

-I´m not lying – Cain gasped -Theodore killed himself because he was trapped here with you. – 

Cain could see her eyes going blank, there was not way he could protect himself from her strike.

His vision went white. 

There was a pounding ache in his head and he tasted blood, he must have bitten his tongue when she struck him. 

Muffled, as if it was far away he heart a soft -What? - Then he felt something shaking above him, twitching as if it was struggling, and then there was warmth. 

His vision returned slowly, it was blurry in one eye, there was probably blood in it, which he realized meant he had a head wound. But Maria was not kneeling on his hands anymore, so slowly he moved his right hand stealing it into his pocket as he blinked to clear his vision.

There was blood. So much blood. And next to his head, a rattling sound. 

He turned to the side, where the doctor was just pushing Maria out of the way. She was still alive, her limbs were still twitching where she was lying in a puddle of her blood. Her throat had been cut from ear to ear and her larynx was exposed, ever more blood was dripping out of cut blood vessels, dying everything red. Her eyes were unfocused still, unable to comprehend the horror of being murdered.

Cain understood the feeling. 

Then there were shoes in his vision and he looked up to see the doctor kneeling over him. Cain´s hand closed around the vial in his pocket. 

-Why did you kill her? – Cain croaked. 

The doctor shrugged, pushing back some of Cain´s hair. -I would have had to do it, anyway. She was impossible to be reasoned with. – 

He sighed. 

-She would not stop picking up her victims from the street, and just where she lived, too. She was bound to get caught. And you, see, father doesn´t like it if there´s an investigation right on our doorstep, the Ripper debacle was bad enough. No. She had the choice, be discrete or be removed. She made her choice. – 

-Why not let her kill me. – Cain asked. 

The doctor chuckled. -You see, - he said, -she beats her victims to death. Smashes the skull right in. And if she had smashed in you scull, my dear Cain, she would have damaged your eyes. And I like your eyes, they will look lovely on my shelf. – 

This is the moment you start struggling, thought Cain, but he didn´t. The doctor was still talking and there was so much that Cain wanted to know. 

With a sweet smile the doctor took Cain´s chin and tilted his head. In his hand was a scalpel.

-Of course, father will be upset, you´re his favourite after all. I´ll just say I didn´t have a choice, with you being a witness. – 

It took Cain a second until the words registered. But when they registered, there was no delay. He pulled the cork from the phial of Urushiol and flung it straight into the doctor´s face. 

He froze for a second, that was all the time Cain needed to push himself out from under him, his cheek stinging where it caught on the scalpel. 

As fast as he could, he stumbled out of the solar, through the hallway and out of the door.   
When Cain reaches the car, Riff is asleep in the back seat, it is Oscar keeping watch. 

-Fuck, Cain, what happened? - He asks as Cain flings himself into the backseat. 

-Doesn´t matter. Drive! – Cain commands, looking back he sees the doctor watching him from the hallway, they flee before he gets the chance to give chase. 

 

-You did what! – 

After Riff got the shock of his life, waking up in a speeding car with a traumatised Oscar and a blood-covered Cain it took some convincing on Cain´s part to get them to return to the townhouse, instead of heading to the closest Emergency Room. 

Naturally, Cain had been carried up to the attic, patched up with a couple of stitches and lot´s of gauze, wrapped into clean clothes and a blanked, and thoroughly cuddled by Merry-Weather and only then was Landor informed that a serial killer was lying dead in her solar in Greenwich. 

Landor had, sensibly, delegated the case to the most competent of his Greenwich colleagues, before he headed straight to the Hargreaves townhouse where he proceeded to shout at Cain. 

-Playing bait for a serial killer! That is a new level of lunacy, even for you. –

Cain forced a smile. It was not easy to be endearing with giant gauze pads covering half your face, where one serial killer cut your forehead with a diamond ring and another sliced your cheek open with a scalpel, Cain was lucky he was not concussed, too. Or dead for that matter. 

-At least we got her. – Cain shrugged.

If looks could kill Cain´s escape would have been for naught, -No. No, we didn´t. A scalpel wielding madman “got her” as you put it. – 

-Don´t you want to know what the scalpel wielding madman told me? – Cain asked.

Landor took a deep breath, then he settled down on the sofa, and was promptly handed a cookie by Merry. For his nerves. 

He sounded resigned -Go on- 

-We know there is a secret organization active in Greenwich. The doctor who called himself Hathaway called it literally their doorstep. – 

Landor nodded. So far so good.

-They are the same organisation active in the city, as territorial as they are the organ lap has to belong to them. Their name is Delilah. They contacted Maria Stanford, because by killing in their territory she drew attention to them and eliminated her when she refused to let them deliver her new victims. 

Maria herself killed because of a delusion born from her son´s suicide. She would take home young men who resembled him and force them to assume his life. When they protested and wished to return to their own lives she beat them to death. She usually met them at the figure drawing classes where she was posing and kept their drawings as trophies in her atelier. – 

-I told you it was a serial killer. – Merry whispered at Oscar. You owe me a cake, a big one. - 

Oscar did not bother to argue with her.

Cain smiled at his conclusion -Happy now? – 

Landor sighed -And that doctor Hathaway? What about him? – 

Cain shrugged. -I emptied a phial of Urushiol in his face, that´s the same stuff that´s in poison oak or poison ivy, only concentrated. If he doesn´t wash it off within ten minutes he might be in serious trouble, but otherwise. He escaped and he´ll heal. - 

-We discussed where we met him before, -Riff cut in -and we´re pretty certain he was involved in one of your other cases. We think he was supplying the tapeworm pills under the name or Gene Sweeney, but Cain would need a picture for confirmation. – 

Landor nodded -I can do that. I should probably thank god that we know this guy and don´t have to deal with another madman on the loose. –

Cain grinned. -Don´t worry, we´ll get him one of these days. – 

Landor sighed. -If only you were meaning the police. –

 

-Riff- Cain whispered. 

Riff looked up from where he was resting his head on Cain´s bare chest, sheets still tangled around them, listening to his heartbeat. 

-I need to tell you something. Something I didn´t tell Landor. – 

Riff moved up over Cain until they were once again face to face. -What is it? – He took Cain´s face in one hand.

-The doctor. – Cain felt how Riff froze on top of him. -He said something. – 

-What did he say. – Riff asked softly, confirming once again that he was the gentlest man in the world.

-He said, that I was father´s favourite, that he would be mad when he killed me. – 

-And with father he means…? – 

Cain nodded. 

There was somebody out there regarding Alexis Hargreaves as his father. And that somebody thought Alexis Hargreaves was alive.

**Author's Note:**

> In case it´s unclear, Jizabel´s colleague in a dress is Zoe, Cassandra´s right hand.


End file.
